Harry Reid's Dilemma

By

Kimberley A. Strassel

Updated Feb. 7, 2013 2:29 p.m. ET

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has made an art form out of protecting his vulnerable members by subverting the "regular order" of the Senate—limiting debate, blocking amendments, bypassing committees, or simply refusing to have his chamber take up controversial subjects. President Obama's new push for gun control helps explain why Mr. Reid would prefer to keep running things that way.

Mr. Reid is aware that many of Mr. Obama's gun-control proposals—in particular, his call for a new ban on some semiautomatic...